Suspected car thief wounded, tracked by K9, arrested after Lincoln County crash

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A suspected car thief who tried to flee the scene of a crash while wounded was taken into custody after being tracked by a Lincoln City police K9 unit on Friday, authorities said.

According to Lincoln City police, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office requested help at a crash scene along Highway 18 near milepost 11.

The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department also responded as the car involved in the crash was previously reported stolen in their jurisdiction.

Officials said one suspect had already been taken into police custody for the theft. However, investigators believed a second suspect was involved and still near the crash site after finding a trail of blood leading to a wooded area.

Once Lincoln City police arrived at the scene, they deployed a K9 unit who successfully tracked the second suspect, identified as 48-year-old Brian Peoples of Gladstone – who was found with serious injuries, authorities said.

Peoples was taken to a hospital for treatment, then lodged into the Tillamook County Jail upon release.

During the investigation, police said they also found “evidence of multiple felony property crimes.” But as of now, Peoples has only been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.